ROCHESTER — The School District's Athletic Department reports since developing a pay-to-play program for youth hockey, fundraising efforts have improved and no parent has opted to pay the full sum of the $1,000 per player price tag.

Athletic Director Kevin Hebert told the Rochester School Board's Special Services Committee last Thursday the Spaulding High School Hockey Boosters' fundraising had been moving along steadily, with a pancake breakfast scheduled for mid-February and bingo nights bringing in funds.

“There have been no concerns expressed to me through my office,” Hebert told the board, adding Hockey Coach Paul George has been working to keep the department updated.

Last fall, the Athletics Department told the board, the team's “ice time” for training at a nearby facility costs $33,000 per season but the school budget only provides $15,000. They said families had not been helping out the team with fundraising and the end result was a need to charge players more. To compromise, the department approached the board with a plan they eventually voted through, to charge $1,000 with the option of families working off the final sum through fundraising.

The Athletics Department now allows family members to work off $100 for each night at the Veterans of Foreign Wars by hosting Sunday Bingo and players can work off a little extra by selling discount cards.

Hebert noted not only have their been no complaints with the new program, but registration for the team is up, along with indoor track, swimming and diving sports teams.

Chairman of the Special Services Committee Julie Brown said she was pleased to hear things were operating so “smoothly.” Last year, many board members expressed their concerns that parents would opt to remove their students from the teams and struggle with paying the high fees.

Brown also inquired as to how the Lilac City's sports teams have been playing, to which Hebert responded “phenomenally,” noting the boys' basketball team has only had one loss so far and the swimming, diving and wrestling teams have all been doing well.